Jen’s Artisan Breads set to open store in Oregon

OREGON — When a customer told Jen Koertner she should expand her bakery into a second location, she brushed it off.

“It went in one ear and out the other,” said Koertner, owner of Jen’s Artisan Breads. “Then someone else said it. Then there were a couple spots that opened up in Oregon.”

Koertner said she isn’t sure what, exactly, made her move forward with it, but the building at 410 W. Washington St., Oregon, where Jen’s Artisan Breads and Boards now is located is one she’s always loved.

“The aesthetic of the building, the inside, the era it was built in – I just love it,” she said. “It’s a completely different vibe [from our first location] in there. It’s dark and moody.”

Unlike Jen’s Artisan Breads in Mt. Morris where the walls are painted a color reminiscent of a summer harvest, Jen’s Artisan Breads and Boards has blue and black walls. The space is lit by hanging lights and a large front window that lets anyone walking by see inside.

A soft opening for the Oregon store took place Saturday.

The hope is to open fully on Monday, Sept. 16, but that date isn’t yet written in stone, Koertner said. As of Sept. 5, she still was waiting on approvals from the state plumbing inspector, state health department and the building inspector.

When it opens, the store’s hours will be 6:30 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday.

“We are really wanting to reach the people who are commuting, going to work early or having to, before they go to school, just come in, grab coffee and pastries and go,” Koertner said.

Jen’s Artisan Breads and Boards will focus on selling pastries, coffee and a variety of other drinks, in addition to loaves of bread, quiches, croissants and scones. Koertner said she expects to add yogurt, fruit parfaits, soup and a few other things to the menu as time goes on.

“We totally expect it to evolve into something else,” she said.

The breads, which are baked in Mt. Morris, are fermented, contain minimal commercial yeast and use unbleached, unbromated flour, Koertner said. Add some salt and water – and sourdough culture for that kind of bread – and you’ve got most of the ingredients, she said.

The bread’s flavor develops as it ferments, and the fermentation process means it has a lower glycemic level, Koertner said. That makes it easier to digest, she said.

“I look forward to being able to serve people who don’t normally have the time to come over to Mt. Morris,” Koertner said. “I expect it to be a completely different group of people.”

More information can be found on the business’ Facebook page and Instagram (username jens_artisan_breads_).

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